Spicy braised tender pork ribs are so easy to put together and delicious!!
These spicy braised pork ribs (maeun dweji galbijjim, 매운 돼지갈비찜) are cooked in the slow cooker until fork tender! It’s so easy to make. You throw the ingredients in the slow cooker and forget about it until the meat is fork tender and ready to be served.
Maeun galbijjim (spicy braised ribs) is a popular braised dish in Korea. You can use beef short ribs, but it’s more commonly made with pork ribs. I personally think the red spicy seasoning works better with pork ribs. And pork is much cheaper. I like to use baby back ribs from Costco. They are tender and very meaty.
This recipe is spicy, but you can certainly make it spicier by adding more gochugaru, some dried whole red chili peppers, or fresh chili peppers. If you want to make a mild version of the braised pork ribs, you can use my slow cooker galbijjim recipe for beef short ribs and adjust the time for pork ribs as necessary. I’d also suggest adding more ginger because pork tastes great with lots of ginger.
How to make spicy pork ribs
Separate the ribs by cutting through the meat between the bones. Rinse the ribs, and let them sit in cold water for about 30 minutes to draw out excess blood. Drain well or pat dry with paper towels.
Place the ribs in the slow cooker. Mix all the sauce ingredients (except the sesame oil and seeds) in a small bowl. Add to the ribs, and stir well to coat evenly. Drop the vegetables in.
You can sear the ribs to add that rich browned meat flavor and remove some fat, but I skipped that process in this recipe.
Turn the slow cooker on high heat. Cover, and cook for about 4 to 5 hours until the ribs reach the desired tenderness (you can cook on low heat if you’ll be out longer, about 6 to 8 hours). Stir in sesame oil and sesame seeds. Skim off excess fat before serving, if desired. Serve with a bowl of rice.
You may also like my BBQ pork ribs.
For more Korean cooking inspirations, follow along on YouTube, Pinterest, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
Ingredients
- 3 pounds pork baby back ribs
- 1 medium onion cut into big chunks
- 1 large potato cut into big chunks
- 1 large carrot, cut into chunks (about an inch)
- 2 scallions cut into big chunks
- 6 to 7 garlic cloves roughly chopped
- 1-1/2 inch ginger thinly sliced
Sauce
- 3 tablespoons gochugaru 고추가루, Korean red chili pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons rice wine or mirin
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons gochujang 고추장, Korean red chili pepper paste
- 1 teaspoon doenjang 된장, Korean fermented soybean paste
- 1/2 apple grated
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
Instructions
- Separate the ribs by cutting through the meat between the bones. Rinse the ribs, and let them sit in cold water for about 30 minutes to draw out excess blood. Drain well or pat dry with paper towels.
- Place the ribs in the slow cooker. Mix all the sauce ingredients (except the sesame oil and seeds) in a small bowl. Add to the ribs, and stir well to coat evenly. Drop the vegetables in.
- Turn the slow cooker on high heat. Cover, and cook for about 4 to 5 hours until the ribs reach the desired tenderness (you can cook on low heat if you’ll be out longer, about 6 to 8 hours). Stir in sesame oil and sesame seeds. Skim off excess fat before serving, if desired. Serve with a bowl of rice.
Ruben Peña says
Am making this recipe as we speak. Should there be more soup in this? Seems a little dry. Made the recipe word for word. Smells delicious. Can’t wait to enjoy this dish
Hyosun says
The recipe works as is because slow cooking generates lots of liquid from the veggies and meat. But, you can add some water if you like.
Melissa says
Hi! I don’t see carrots in the recipe, but I see them in all the photos.
Love your recipes!
Hyosun says
Oh sorry about that! It’s been added. Thanks!!
Andreas says
Very nice recipe. Made this today, it tasted great.
Su says
Hello, thank you for this wonderful recipe! The dish was super good!!
I have a question. Do you think using chicken instead of pork will be fine for this recipe?
Hyosun says
Great to hear that! Thank you! Yes it will, but I have a spicy chicken recipe that includes a slow cooker method here: https://www.koreanbapsang.com/dak-doritang-korean-spicy-chicken-stew/
Su says
Thank you for such a quick response! I am trying that recipe out tonight! 🙂
Valerie Lew says
If I cook it in my instant pot, how long would you recommend cooking it for?
Hyosun says
I’d say about 35 min, depending on the thickness of your meat.
Nancy LeMay says
My husband does not like anything spicy. What should I leave out or do? What other spices could I use? What could I then do for mine after the cooking to make mine spicy?
Hyosun says
How about using the seasoning ingredients from this with pork ribs? https://www.koreanbapsang.com/slow-cooker-galbijjim-korean-braised/
Anna says
Thank you for this recipe! I made it in my slow cooker and it was so easy to make, and it came out delicious. I made it with 4 lbs of baby back ribs, and used the same amount of sauce – it was perfect. Thanks!
Shen says
Hi, just wondering if there’s a stove top version of this recipe? Thank you!
Hyosun says
Sorry no stove top version. It will be similar to stove top galbijjim with diff seasonings.
Mihwa says
Could I make this in my instapot?
Hyosun says
Definitely! Manual high for about 40 minutes, depending on the thickness of your ribs, with NPR after 10 min. Also see my Instant Pot spicy galbijjim recipe for ref. https://www.koreanbapsang.com/instant-pot-spicy-galbijjim-braised-short-ribs/
Cindy says
I am eating this as I type. It’s so delicious! I love the spicy kick!!! The best part was it was so easy to make!
Jin says
Just made these and oh my goodness, that was amazing. 10/5 stars!!!!! Thank you for sharing this recipe. 🤩
Hyosun says
Great to hear that! Thanks for letting me know.
Hyosun says
Oh that’s so great to hear! Thank you so much for coming by and leaving me a great review. It means a lot to me.
T Mae says
Made this in the instant pot and it was amazing!! I used the manual pressure cook setting for 20-25 min depending how fall off the bone soft you want the meat. I think next time I will hold off putting the potatoes in until after the pressure cooking part and just saute in the sauce so they are not too mushy. Loved it!
Song Han says
If we are using instapot, how long and what setting do you use?
Mike says
Aloha Hyosun,
I served the ribs tonight. It was a home run. I followed your recipe exactly as written and my family loved it. They said it should be on our dinner menu. I am anxious to try some of other recipes since Korean dishes are a family favorite.
Hyosun says
Aloha Mike! I’m glad to hear that. Hope you find many more recipes to try.
Michael Chun says
Can’t wait to try this next Saturday. My kids are home for new year’sand it’s my hahng gaap, so we wanted to do a pork dish – sorry I’m third generation and don’t speak korean 🙁
Love your recipes ( galbi jjim was very well-received )
Thank-you!
Cyrilla says
I love your recipes! Of course I love Korean Dramas!
Hyosun says
Thank you! I love Korean dramas too!
Olivia Zeh says
Hi, Hyosun!
What size slow cooker did you use for this recipe?
Hyosun says
Hi Olivia! My slow cooker is 6 quarts.
Hyerim says
Thanks for the recipe! What if I want to make it in the Instant Pot?
Hyosun says
Sorry about the late response! I’d grate onion, garlic and ginger for them to work faster to flavor. Grated onion will give more liquid for pressure cooking as well. I won’t change anything else. Please let me know how it turns out. Enjoy!
Hearts says
Made this yesterday & I want to thank you so much! It was fantastic! Tonight I’m going to make your Pressure Cooker Dak Bokkeumtang! Appreciate your recipes ❤️
Hyosun says
Awesome!Very happy to hear that. Hope you also enjoyed Dak Bokkeumtang.
Elsie Mallon says
Is doenjang the same as miso?
Hyosun says
No it’s not. Doenjang has much more pungent flavor from the different fermentation process. However, you can use miso in this recipe if that’s all you have.
Connie says
Hi Hyosun, I tried to print this using the Print button but there was some error in the instructions. There were something like codes. Just so you know!
Jessica Wu says
hi Hyosun
came across to your blog for slow cook recipes. can’t wait to make them all. I got a question about this recipes. so it doesn’t look like there will be any liquid excepted that 3 tablespoon of soy sauce. why that at the end of the picture (the finish one) that has some kinda of juice/liquid in the pot? the reason I asked this question is that I tried to make the slow cook pork belly from your recipes. anything other than the part that were soak in the 1/2 cup of water was dried out. I’m wondering if this will happen to the pork rib as well. I’m still testing my slow cooker with your suggested setting.
Hyosun says
Hi Jessica – The vegetables and meat in the recipe will release a lot of liquid in addition to the sauce. This is an entirely different type of dish from the pork belly. Enjoy!
Reg says
Have you been able to come up with a stove-top to oven recipe?
I have been dying to braise some country-style pork ribs with a good, spicy Korean seasoning.
Thanks!!
Jac says
Can I use pork belly or pork shoulder for this recipe?
Hyosun says
Of course! I do that sometimes too. Enjoy!
Jac says
Do i use the same amount of pork belly (3 pounds ribs = 3 pounds pork belly) or should I double the ingredients for the sauce if i am using 3 pounds or more of the pork belly (no bones).
Bora says
Hello! What size slow cooker is best for this recipe? I just purchased a 6-quart cooker and wondering if this recipe will work with it.
Thank you!
Hyosun says
Bora – Congrats on being a slow cooker owner! You won’t regret buying it. Yes it will. Enjoy!
Bora says
Thank you so much! I can’t wait to try out this recipe. 🙂
Hyosun says
Enjoy!
Grace says
I was wondering if I can use some well fermented kimchi in place of the potatoes and carrots. If so, do I need to adjust other ingredients (seasonings) accordingly? Thank you!
ashley says
i am wondering if you are familiar with the instant pot (it is a pressure cooker), and if so, do you know what changes i would make to create this dish in a instant pot?
Hyosun says
hmm I am sorry I don’t have a pressure cooker. But, I would think the pressure cooker doesn’t require a lot of liquid as the slow cooker, so this recipe may work in the pressure cooker. Have you cooked any other meat in your pressure cooker? I am sure you can use the same concept and just use the seasoning in this recipe. Let me know if you try it.
Lychii says
This is the perfect amount of spice =] thanks for the recipe! So good in winter over some hot rice.
Steph says
I made this today, my first time ever using a slow cooker! And it was a success! Thanks to your easy step by step instructions.
I cooked it low for 6 hours. The meat was tender, juicy and tasty! My husband also loved it!
lui says
I’m so excited to try your recipe. awesome.
parkan says
Hi are there any traditional korean soups that can be made in a slow cooker? Please make some more slow cooker recipes!! <3
Hyosun says
I will think about soup options. More slow cooker recipes are coming. Stay tuned!
Tyler says
This was excellent! Thanks for the recipe!
I was wondering, since I had to buy large amounts of these spices I’ve never used, if you have some more recipes using them?
Hyosun says
Great to hear it turned out well. I guess you’re talking about red chili pepper paste, fermented soybean paste and red chili pepper flakes. These are staple ingredients in Korean cooking. I have numerous recipes on the blog that use them such as marinated meat, stews, braised meat, vegetable side dishes, etc. If you like chicken, there are a couple of slow cooker chicken recipes that use these ingredients. There are also spicy marinated pork or fermented soybean paste marinated pork. Use the search box to find recipes that use certain ingredients and click around to see if you like other recipes that interest you.
yeo kee ling says
the pork ribs look good, was thinking whether I can replaced potatoes with white raddish and carrots.
thanks
Hyosun says
No problem. Enjoy!
Deedee says
I love your recipes and I am dying to try this exact recipe but I don’t have a slow cooker. Do I just need to add more liquid if I am cooking it on stove top? I have tried the stove top galbi jjim and would like to try this spicy pork one. Please let me know, thanks!
Hyosun says
Yes you need to add much more liquid. Follow the stove top galbijjim recipe and just replace the braising liquid in that recipe with the sauce in this recipe. Hope this helps.
Lorelle says
HIya – I’m intending to try this recipe, but just wonder why the gochugaru is listed twice in the sauce recipe? Is it 5 tablespoons then? or is it 3 and then the other 2 do something else? Just want to work this out and then will cook it up.
Thanks
Hyosun says
Hi Lorelle – Actually the second one is gochujang, which is a fermented red pepper paste. It’s packed with flavor so serves a quite different purpose. Hope you try it and enjoy!
Jinny says
I don’t have a slow cooker handy, will a regular pot do? Should I add water?
Hyosun says
Here’s the recipe for the traditional, stove top version: https://www.koreanbapsang.com/2011/10/galbijjim-korean-braised-beef-short.html
Cara says
Hi, this is a different recipe, not sure how to understand how to cook this pork recipe on a regular pot on a gas stove?
Daniel Chui says
I am so excited to try out your recipes. Thank you for the clear instructions, easy recipes, and wonderful layout and visuals of your website. It is really a joy to navigate and explore, and makes me excited to learn how to cook Korean food!
Hyosun says
Thank you, Daniel!
Margie says
Hello
I’m looking for a BBQ pork ribs recipe.
Hyosun says
How about this: https://www.koreanbapsang.com/2011/07/dwaeji-galbikalbi-korean-style-pork.html
Kendra says
If I cut the red chili pepper flakes & paste in half will it bring the spice level to a medium heat without sacrificing the flavor? Some members of my family don’t handle spice well.
Hyosun says
You can simply omit the red chili pepper flakes. If you reduce each by half, you may need a little bit of salt or soy sauce to supplement the salt level that’s in the paste. Hope this helps.
Kendra says
Sooo good! The spice level was perfect. I mistakenly added 3 tbs of chili paste, but it worked. I also garnished each plate with a lime and the acidity worked. Thanks again!
Dewi says
I don’t have doenjang. Can I substitute with miso paste or will it change the flavor altogether?
Hyosun says
You can use miso – no problem. You can also omit deonjang for this dish. It will be fine. You may need to add a bit of salt instead. Enjoy!
Dewi says
I eventually bought doenjang. This recipe is delicious! I dropped the potato and carrots at the last hour of cooking (I put my slow cooker on high). Thank you for sharing the recipe. This one will be a regular menu in our home.
Hyosun says
Awesome! I am so happy to hear this recipe will be on your regular menu. Now use that doenjang for other dishes like doenjang jjigae, doenjang marinated pork, vegetable doenjang muchim, etc. Search doenjang on the blog for the recipes.
Li-Yong says
Hi Hyosun, yet another winner! My husband devoured it tonight and is a happy man. I did not have any apple on hand but grated some guava instead, it worked nonetheless. I have bookedmarked a few more recipes of yours to try, can’t wait! Next up the fresh bokchoy kimchi!
Thanks so much for sharing, please don’t stop!
Hyosun says
That’s great to hear! Guava sounds good. Hope you and your husband enjoy all other dishes you try. Thanks!
Mary says
Do you add water or stock? I
Hyosun says
No that’s not necessary. The ingredients in the recipe generates a lot of liquid while being slow cooked. Enjoy!
Maut says
Last night, after getting rave reviews from my family, I posted your recipe on my FB wall. It inspired two of my friends and they actually made it today for dinner. You just got two more happy families…. in addition to mine. Thank you for making us look like awesome cooks!
Hyosun says
That’s awesome, Maut! I’m thrilled to hear my recipes can help families to be happy! Thank you so much for trying out my recipe and spreading the word. You’re the best!
Stacey says
This looks wonderful. How many will this feed? Looking to do this as the main meal for a dinner meeting.
Hyosun says
Safely 4 maybe up to 6, depending on other dishes you serve with and the portion size. Enjoy!